VNV Nation – Automatic

There are times when a band/artist comes along and completely sweeps you off of your feet.  You’re wed in musical matrimony and you stick with them through every up and down—though, admittedly, you’re so enamored you don’t really register the downs when and if they come.  In my case, I must admit, I have a polygamous relationship with several groups.  My current audio spouse is the badassery of VNV Nation and their newest offering, Automatic.

VNV Nation is adept at many things: inspiring the listener to believe in themselves; creating warm, sonic textures with “cold” sound machines; pushing their own boundaries and (nearly) always succeeding in that growth; and even in their periods of change, never forgetting to include the formulas that made them successful in the first place.  Automatic is all of things in one, 10-track package.  The best part?  It’s also some of the group’s best work to date.

From the opening moments of “Space and Time” to the fading  synths of album closer “Radio,” Automatic rarely loses steam and this is tough for a group that indulges in several instrumentals.  Although the group could have used a touch of self-editing—the random modulator solo on lead single “Control” feels completely out of place—the two years spent crafting this album were well spent.

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